1979 Mercury Capri Recalls, Complaints & Specs
5 safety recalls list the 1979 Mercury Capri. Check your own VIN below.
5 safety recalls for the 1979 Mercury Capri
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
-
Pedals and linkages (service brakes)
The involved vehicles were produced with brake push-rod to brake pedal retaining pins which were not heat-treated as specified. This could allow the brake pedal to become disengaged from the push-rod.
Remedy: Dealer will replace the suspect brake retaining pin.
-
Fan (engine and engine cooling)
With the engine operating at high speed, the plastic engine fan finger guards may contact the engine fan and breakage of the guard may occur. This could cause fragments of the finger guard to scatter.
Remedy: Two guard supports and two additional fasteners will be installed. If the fan guard has been damaged, the guard and fan will be replaced at no cost to owner.
-
Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)
An incorrect steering gear flange may have been installed, which may slip and cause eventual loss of steering control.
Remedy: Inspection for and replacement of incorrect steering gear flanges will be done at no cost to owner.
-
Fan (engine and engine cooling)
The involved vehicles are equipped with flexible cooling fan blades that may crack when subjected to high engine speed operating conditions. Fan blade cracking can lead to fragments separating from the fan.
Remedy: The dealer will replace the existing cooling fan at no cost to owner.
-
Column (steering)
The tilt steering columns on the involved vehicles contain in-process temporary alignment pins rather than the permanent press-fit pivot pins. The temporary pins are slightly undersized and could separate from the steering column during vehicle operation. This can cause steering wheel lockup.
Remedy: The dealer will install a permanent pivot pin in the steering column without charge to owner.
No owner complaints on file
NHTSA has no owner complaints on file for the 1979 Mercury Capri. For context, the average model year in NHTSA's database has dozens; a zero can mean a reliable vehicle, a rare one, or both.
Compare Mercury Capri model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Mercury Capri model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 Mercury Capri | 6 | 0 |
| 1972 Mercury Capri | 5 | 0 |
| 1973 Mercury Capri | 3 | 0 |
| 1974 Mercury Capri | 6 | 0 |
| 1975 Mercury Capri | 2 | 0 |
| 1976 Mercury Capri | 2 | 0 |
| 1977 Mercury Capri | 1 | 0 |
| 1979 Mercury Capri | 5 | 0 |
| 1981 Mercury Capri | 1 | 1 |
| 1983 Mercury Capri | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 Mercury Capri | 3 | 0 |
| 1985 Mercury Capri | 2 | 3 |
| 1991 Mercury Capri | 2 | 30 |
| 1992 Mercury Capri | 1 | 7 |
| 1993 Mercury Capri | 1 | 5 |
| 1994 Mercury Capri | 1 | 2 |
Checking a specific 1979 Mercury Capri
How do I know if my 1979 Mercury Capri has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 1979 Mercury Capri; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Mercury dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 78V186000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Mercury models
- Sable5,381 complaints
- Grand Marquis3,951 complaints
- Milan2,519 complaints
- Mountaineer1,992 complaints
- Cougar1,893 complaints
- Villager1,725 complaints
- Mariner1,296 complaints
- Mystique1,019 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.